AGBU TO PARTICIPATE IN TOURISM DEVELOPMENT IN ARMENIA

10 December 2013

The Board of Trustees of the National Competitiveness Foundation of Armenia (NCFA) met on November 2 under the auspices of RA Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan. Tourism development in Armenia, a top priority for the government, was on the agenda. NCFA’s Tourism Development Project is designed to make Armenia a favorable and attractive country for tourism and to professionally represent Armenia’s achievements in international markets. To implement this, a tourism development strategy has been adopted, and is being carried out through state and private sector cooperation. AGBU Central Board Member Vasken Yacoubian also addressed the Board, presenting AGBU’s tourism development program in Armenia. AGBU’s physical presence in 26 countries and 70 cities ensures that we can create the physical and virtual networks needed to promote tourism to and investment in Armenia. “AGBU has long been committed to promoting and preserving the Armenian identity, culture and heritage in our homeland and in our communities around the world. Today, we are undertaking a new project – one that will make a long-lasting impact on Armenia’s economic development,” said Mr, Yacoubian. AGBU’s comprehensive plan includes the creation of Armenia Information Offices (AIOs) at its worldwide chapters and centers. The physical hub of these offices will be in Armenia, located at our soon-to-be-opened AGBU Office Building in downtown Yerevan. All the AIOs will be linked virtually through a dedicated tourism portal, currently under development. This is a serious initiative that will not only strengthen Armenia, but also benefit our widespread Diasporan communities. The numbers and facts are staggering. In 2013, about 1,000,000 tourists visited Armenia! It is estimated that each additional 100,000 tourists to Armenia can create 1,000 jobs. Official sources also estimate that each tourist to Armenia spends approximately $1,300 per week!